— Germany will convene a high-level auto industry summit on October 9 in Berlin to address mounting challenges posed by US and Chinese competitors and to strategize on the future of Europe’s largest car market, the government announced.
The meeting, which will be chaired by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, is expected to bring together key stakeholders including auto manufacturers, suppliers, union representatives, and premiers of states hosting major automaker plants. Senior government officials, among them Vice-Chancellor and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil, are also scheduled to attend.
Speaking ahead of the event, government spokesperson Steffen Meyer confirmed that the two-hour summit will focus on “finding common solutions to position the auto industry for future technologies, while discussing securing jobs and achieving climate targets.”
The summit comes as Germany’s auto industry — long regarded as the backbone of the nation’s economy — faces unprecedented headwinds. High transition costs to electric vehicles (EVs), dwindling demand in China and Europe, and intensified competition from US and Chinese firms have left German automakers under pressure.
At the Munich International Motor Show last month, Chancellor Merz admitted that the sector, while still vital to Germany’s prosperity, “needs a serious overhaul and the right policy framework.” The government has also signaled that it may push the European Union to reconsider its strict 2035 ban on new gasoline and diesel cars, citing the need for a more flexible transition.
Industry players have already begun to feel the pinch. Bosch, the world’s largest auto parts supplier, recently announced plans to cut 13,000 jobs by 2030, underscoring the scale of restructuring taking place.
The auto sector remains a central pillar of Germany’s economy, contributing 5% of total added value, 3% of employment, and generating the largest revenues of any industrial sector. In 2024 alone, Germany’s auto exports reached €262 billion ($307.8 billion) — accounting for 17% of the country’s total exports.
Yet employment figures have started to show strain. As of the end of 2024, the industry employed 772,900 workers, excluding suppliers, a marginal 0.1% decline compared to 2023. About 14% of employees are industrial workers, making it the country’s second-largest industrial employer after mechanical engineering.
